‘Mission Spandan’: NCB ties up with spiritual organisations to tackle drug abuse

New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with five prominent spiritual organisations under “Mission Spandan” to tackle drug abuse and psychotropic substance addiction through spirituality, an official said on Monday.

The initiative, envisioned by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeks collective action to tackle drug abuse through spirituality, awareness and collective action.

Presiding over the event, Anurag Garg, Director General, NCB, highlighted the mission’s significance, stating, “Mission Spandan unites efforts to inspire resilience and foster a drug-free India.”

The MoU was signed on behalf of NCB by Anand Prakash Tiwari, DDG (Special Wing, Legal and Awareness), and representatives of spiritual organisations, including Art of Living, Prajapita Brahma Kumari, Iskcon, Sant Nirankari Charitable Foundation, and Shri Ram Chandra Mission.

Under the collaboration, the NCB will provide technical support, and educational resources, and coordinate with local authorities, while the spiritual organisations will lead grassroots awareness campaigns, youth-focused programmes, and community engagement initiatives.

Senior NCB officials Monika Ashish Batra, Gyaneshwar Singh, and Neeraj Kumar Gupta attended the ceremony, underscoring the Bureau’s commitment to this cause.

The event concluded with a collective pledge, led by Anurag Garg, reaffirming a shared resolve to eradicate substance abuse.

Mission Spandan now stands as a powerful symbol of collaboration, marking a significant step toward building a healthier and drug-free nation, he said.

As per the Comprehensive National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India conducted in 2018, alcohol was the most widely used substance with 15.3 crore abusers across the country, followed by Cannabis with 3.1 crore users.

As per an earlier parliament question answered in August 2023, there were 2,00,000 Hallucinogen users in the age group 10-17 years in 2018 while there were 11,01,000 Hallucinogen users in the age group 18-75 years.

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